


6 Degrees of Tom Cruise

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Actor RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-22
Updated: 2004-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-25 01:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1624058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody is connected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	6 Degrees of Tom Cruise

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Kate Swynford

 

 

"What do you mean he's stuck in the elevator!"

This was not good.

This was very not good.

"I thought he was in his *trailer* when I left this afternoon. What do you mean he needed a nap, he just woke up!"

An apt word would be that he was freaking out. Phil, the resident PA, was freaking out because celebrities were*not* supposed to get stuck in elevators. Unless they were J. Lo.

"Yes, fine I'll wait for you to get Gorden. Just hurry up," He snapped the phone shut and tried to put on his most disarming smile, nervously running a hand through his hair. "Evelyn, something's came up." He tried to go for empathetic and so very sorry, but he thought he just sounded hopeless. This was the third lunch date he'd had to back out of this week.

"Let me guess. He's stuck in an elevator." She didn't sound in any way amused.

"It's the funniest thing because he's not even supposed to be staying at that hotel. And he just stepped out to catch some sleep, what with the night shoots running him ragged -"

"Phil. I don't care." And just like that she picked up her purse and strode off in the most feminine of gestures. In the middle of his explanation.

She'd never done that before.

He wasn't getting sex for a month for this, he was sure.

Swallowing his pride, he paid for their sparse meal while punching in the number for his secretary, hoping she knew of a good flower shop near by.

* * *

"So...." The black haired boy trailed off, elevator light flickering over head and mocking their current predicament.

The guy sitting across from him just looked up momentarily and then closed his eyes, obviously testing the time proven method of `if you can't see them, they can't see you'.

Alex could still see him though, so it must not have been working.

Mostly, Alex was still caught up on the fact that he was stuck in an elevator.   
"You're Tom Cruise, right?"

"Yep."

"Cool."

* * *

Evelyn was pissed. Pissed that she was in Hollywood. Pissed that her boyfriend cared more about pampering some famous celebrity. Pissed that she hadn't had sex since she'd followed Phil to this show biz city. And generally, she was just pissed about the fact that she was pissed.

Her heels were clicking against the pavement in a rhythmic stride that most would consider sexy, but she just thought it hurt her calves.

The glitz and glamour of LA had worn off long ago and now the city just felt dead and full of ghosts. Phil had promised that she could get a role in his new movie, he just had to work the right angles. He had been full of it then and she should have known she shouldn't have followed him out here, but she had just loved him so much. She still did. It was just wedged deep under the layers of resentment, mistrust, and lies that she'd endured.

With a quick turn she stopped and gestured for a taxi just to take her mind off things. She was rewarded with the screech of a dusty car pulling up and the generic taxi driver smiling from inside.

"Corner of 2nd and 3rd, please."

He didn't respond as the car lurched into the post-lunch hour traffic. Her thoughts chased each other in circles jumping from crisis to crisis, but always returning to Phil.

She jumped as her phone rang the beep version of Rudolph. Rummaging in her purse, she managed to fish it out from all the junk she'd lodged in there.

She sighed a relief at the familiar Andrews caller id

"Hey."

"Hey!" The friendly voice was an interruption to her thoughts, but it was a welcome one.

* * *

"What's up?"

"Pardon?"

"You know, how's it going? How's life? You do have a life right?" The harshness of the words were dulled with what Alex considered to be his award winning smile. Of course, compared to Cruise's famous choppers, it wasn't much.

"Funny. What's your name kid?"

"Alex."

"Well, Alex, my life's full of paparazzi and a wife driving me insane, going from happy as a lark to wanting to rip my guts out because of her crazy feminine mood swings. The only reason I'm here is just to get away from her. So, yeah, life's great. How about you?"

Note to self: Never talk to celebrities. No matter how hot they were.

"Sorry I asked.."

* * *

The blonde's reflection was perfect as she applied a second coat of blueberry lip gloss. The bell had just rung but she was studiously ignoring it in favor of primping and posturing, as it were.

"I'm Lillian Andrews, the most popular girl in school and I *have* to look my best or else the entire social hierarchy will crumble in on itself." Veronica mocked the current big whig of high school society, her best bud laughing along with her.

She not so delicately tossed the lip gloss back into her bag and started heading towards the door.

"I may not have a brain, but I sure as hell have a nice rack," She mocked once more. The day was only half over and she was already bored out of her skull.

* * *

"Dude, I think you're stressed." That simple statement sliced through the thick silence that had descended after Tom's apparent freakage. Alex debated whether this was wise but, really, what else was there to do? Being stuck in an elevator severely limited one's options.

"Thanks for the cunning insight, Sherlock."

"Are you always this bitchy? Or is it just a recent thing to go with that whole famous gig?" Alex couldn't stand those bastard actors who didn't realize they had it made and instead whined and moaned about salaries and make-up.

The question seemed to register to Tom who sat for a moment, blinking in confusion.

"It's been a tough week, alright."

* * *

The door swung open in a flurry of hot air and humidity as the blonde threw her backpack on the floor and preceded into the kitchen.

"Hey, Darien." She called to her elder brother who was camped out on the couch while she popped a pastry into the toaster.

His response consisted of something resembling a grunt. Or maybe a snort? Either way, she really didn't care.

"Oh yeah, did you hear about Tom Cruise?"

* * *

Cruise was panicking. Alex was positive that Tom Cruise was panicking.

"We weren't even having any problems, not really. And then, yesterday, she just pounced on me with it. Said she was breaking it off, that it just wasn't working. I..I was in shock. But then, the first thing I thought was `what about my career?' I'm a dad, and that's what I'm worried about. God, I just...that's just..."

"And the worst part about it is that I can't *not* keep thinking about it. I don't want to lose my kids, but... I don't...I don't even know what I want anymore, my mind's so screwed up...."

He sighed in resignation.

"Damnit, I'm fucked six ways to Sunday and then I came here and now I'm stuck in an elevator on the seventh floor with the possibility of *dieing* and all I can do is ramble on about my life to a 19 year old kid....."

* * *

Darien was intrigued about the whole Tom Cruise debacle. Veronica, on the other hand, hadn't really seemed to care. She was much more into Depp anyway. Darien couldn't fault her for it, but dude, it was Tom Cruise. Everybody liked Tom Cruise.

"Reports have yet to come in on what exactly went wrong with the elevator nor how many occupants are currently trapped. Rescue workers are still frantically trying to fix the machine, since it is caught on the seventh floor. If the cable were to break, the occupants wouldn't stand a chance." Tammy, the local news women, was camped out in front of a really expensive looking hotel with an immaculate hairstyle and a flamboyant orange dress.

He turned up the volume a little bit while Veronica plopped down beside him, munching on her habitual afterschool snack.

"Tammy, we've heard reports that Tom Cruise is trapped in that elevator. Is there any validity to this statement?"

"As of yet, there's been no official release as to the occupants but there has been wild speculation ranging from Cruise to Damon to Santa Clause, so I wouldn't bet on it."

Translation: Let's not make a big deal out of this cause his publicist is paying me off to keep it on the down low.

Hollywood was really fucked up when you thought about it, Darien absently pondered as Veronica tried to snatch the remote.

"Not this time, little sis."

"But you always reign over the TV when you're home."

"Yeah, because I'm bigger then you and would just steal it back anyway."

Veronica attempted a hurt look, but for her it just came off as constipated.

"Oh, it seems there's been a major development!" Tammy was all excited as she rushed towards the front of the building, dress swishing behind her. "It seems the workers have finally got the occupants out of the elevator! They're coming out now!" This was needlessly said as some dirt streaked crew workers ambled out followed by a medic and the survivors.

Darien's jaw dropped open.

Tom Cruise and *Alex* were exiting the building in a kind of dazed fashion.

"Alex?" Darien's brain seemed to not be working at the moment.

Veronica squeaked.

"Alex? Boyfriend Alex?"

Darien just nodded.

On TV, the cameras snapped and clattered while all the reporters were frantically asking questions and the medic was trying to shoo them away along with someone who appeared to Tom's agent or something. It didn't phase the crowd, who simply continued hustling the confused looking Alex and moody Cruise.

Darien was pretty sure he would have heard a pen drop in the house if the TV hadn't been filling up the conversational void. Veronica, ever the helpful sibling, decided to remedy this anyway.

"Dude, this means I'm only four degrees away from Kevin Bacon."

 


End file.
